DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTERThirty years of Teaching, Learning, Caring for marine mammals and the environment we share.DRC is a nonprofit marine mammal education and research facility located in the heart of the fabulous Florida Keys. Home to a family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions, DRC offers a variety of educational, fun, exciting programs, and close-up interactions. We hope you enjoy our blog!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Want to work with marine mammals, then the College of Marine Mammal Professions may be right for you!

The CMMP was established by
Dolphin Research Center in 2012 in response to the limited
availability of licensed professional educational programs that prepare
individuals for careers regarding the behavior, care and training of
marine mammals. Currently the CMMP offers an Associate of Science Degree in Marine Mammal Behavior, Care and Training, with the intention of expanding and offering other degrees within the field of marine mammal professions.

The College of Marine Mammal Professions is licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, License No. 4766.

To apply, go to our website and check out the prerequisites and requirements. If you meet these, fill out an application and send it in between November 1st and December 31st.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Research has always been an important part of DRC. After all, research is
our middle name! DRC evolved out of the Institute for Delphinid
Research. When DRC's founders took over the facility in 1984, research
remained a high priority. We have since expanded our in-house research
goals, and also worked with world-renowned scientists who have come to
DRC to study our resident colony of dolphins. DRC’s research program
focuses on three main areas: Cognition, Behavior and Husbandry.

Here are some reasons why we do research:

It provides our dolphins and sea lions with mental stimulation. What
we call "cognitive research," the animals experience as "thinking
games." They have a fantastic time thinking & figuring things out.

It contributes to scientific knowledge of dolphins and of
other animals. There's a lot we don't know about dolphins yet. For
example, we know that dolphins are smart, but we don't yet know all the
specifics of that - and those specifics are important. Dolphins have
evolved within a completely different environment, different body plan,
and different neuroanatomy from humans for a long time now [~ 90 to 95
million years]. We're different in a lot of ways. So when we find out
that dolphins can do something, we also compare it to what other animals
and people can do, so it tells us: (1) something about dolphins and (2)
something about the ways in which intelligent behaviors evolve in
general.

The new knowledge that research generates can benefit the animals,
both in human care and in the wild. The more we understand these
animals, the better we will be able to meet their needs.

Cognitive studies inspire conservation. For better or for worse, it is
human nature to care more about animals that we view as intelligent.
When guests visit DRC and see Talon doing math, or Tanner imitating in
such a clever way, it invites a new kind of connection with the
dolphins. This connection can inspire more care and compassion for
dolphins and the environment they live in.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Want
to take part in a seven-day program that surveys a wide range of
knowledge, theories and ongoing research concerning dolphins, the marine
environment and related issues? Dolphin Research Center offers week
long programs to meet those needs: Dolphin Camp (ages 10-14), Teen
DolphinLab (ages 15-17) and Adult DolphinLab (18+)! Students meet DRC's
resident dolphin population, learning to respect each
dolphin as an individual through observation of their unique behavioral
and physical characteristics. The courses also offer a combination of
educational seminars, workshops, demonstrations, in water and hands-on
learning activities with our dolphins, sea lions and staff family. All
of Dolphin Research Center's Adult DolphinLab classes are fully college
accredited.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

If a picture’s worth
a thousand words, imagine how friends and family will talk when they see a
holiday photo picturing you and a dolphin!Now through December 19th, Dolphin Research Center is again giving guests the opportunity for a
holiday photo.Visitors who participate
in DRC’s Meet the Dolphin program can
bring their own Santa hats, reindeer antlers or other accessories to use while
posing.DRC’s experienced photographers will
shoot the pictures using high-resolution digital cameras.For Meet
the Dolphin guests go onto a floating dock to give backrubs and share a
“flippershake” with a dolphin and have their photo taken.The program is offered several times each day
on a walk-in basis and costs $25 per person in addition to general admission
prices.The photos are supplied on a
flash drive for $20 for one person and $35 for multiple people in the same
shot.Quality prints are also available
and print prices vary depending on number ordered.Group size is limited to four people.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Facilities like Dolphin Research Center make it possible for us to interact with dolphins in an environment that is respectful and safe for both humans and animals.

Marine mammals fascinate people. They inspire us in countless ways and motivate us to be concerned about their welfare -- those in the wild as well as those in human care, such as the dolphins and sea lions that live at Dolphin Research Center. Sometimes people disagree and are passionate in their opinions. We understand. Dolphin Research Center is passionate about the wellbeing of marine mammals everywhere! It is the foundation of everything we do. In today's world, there are many debates and, unfortunately, a wealth of misleading, often deliberately incorrect information. This Hot Topics section is presented as a resource to learn about Dolphin Research Center's position on some of these debates and to share correct information.